


The "woman"

by Sage_Marie



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 02:05:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9152713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sage_Marie/pseuds/Sage_Marie
Summary: While preparing dinner, Nico contemplates his role of his relationship with Will.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, so I appreciate any feedback and constructive criticism. I have plans to write much more, whether expanding on this or other ideas I have. I first decided I needed to start small.
> 
> I don't agree with stereotypes in relationships, but this stems from my own experiences. I am married and am the one who "brings home the bacon" while my husband is the one at home, cooking and cleaning. It wasn't planned like this, but the dynamic works for us. After reading so many Solangelo fanfics of Nico and Will being older and living together, I couldn't help but wonder about their relationship dynamic.

“Oh gods! I am the woman!” Nico declared.

There was no one around to hear him, as he was home alone. He had been contemplating his day, feeling proud of everything he accomplished. After school he did laundry, cleaned the apartment, and was currently cooking dinner to be followed up with a homemade apple pie.

When Percy had first teased Nico about being the woman in his relationship with Will, Nico had been incredibly confused. Later, Will explained how it was a modern stereotype that in all relationships, whether heterosexual or homosexual, there was a man and a woman. Will also joked that it wasn’t always the male who is the man. It was more about the roles, who does what. Needless to say, Nico always got upset when his friends teased him about it, and finally Will had told them to stop. Of course then they listened, since apparently Will was the “man”...

Nico looked down at the dinner he was making and sighed. He knew it was going to be delicious and Will was going to love it. Will kept teasing him that Nico was making him fat, and while not exactly true, Nico had noticed both of them filling out better, not so scrawny.

Nico started reminiscing on his relationship with Will. After Will had turned 18, he moved into the city to attend college. Nico initially stayed behind at Camp Half-Blood, as it was assumed that Nico was about a year younger, and therefore not technically an adult. Once Will had left, promising to visit as much as possible and arranging with Chiron for Nico to visit him in the city at least once a month, life at camp had become almost unbearable for Nico. He tried not to be needy, but he hadn’t realized how much Will’s presence made Nico feel… whole. Complete. Without him, Nico felt like he was only half-existing and his other half was too far away. Will brought out the best in Nico, and when they weren’t together Nico found himself drifting back into his old ways of unbearable moodiness. After several unauthorized shadow-travel trips to the city and much pouting from Nico, Chiron finally agreed to let Nico live with Will in the city and attend public school for “senior year” before starting college. Will finally convinced Chiron by explaining they didn’t know how old Nico actually was. They always assumed his age based on the simple fact that Westover Hall (the first school Nico had attended after leaving the Lotus Hotel and Casino) had him at age 10. His years in the Lotus Hotel had affected his aging, so no one really knew how old Nico was in terms of aging. Chiron reluctantly agreed that it was in everyone’s best interest that Nico live with Will, because Nico had become a downright pain in the ass without Will.

Nico was thrilled to live with Will, making them feel like an official couple. The transition had been rough at first, Nico hadn’t realized how much Will adjusted his schedule to see Nico when he visited. Now that they lived together, it seemed like Will was always busy. Nico tried his best to keep himself busy too, but the mortal school was boring. He managed to make a few… friends, for lack of a better word, but Nico didn’t enjoy hanging out with them outside of school. Will had gotten a job at the local hospital, because if he was ever going to work for a mortal hospital, he needed experience beyond the camp’s infirmary. 

Nico finally found an outlet with writing. Nico kept having terrible nightmares about the past, and still couldn’t bring himself to discuss them with Will. Nico knew this hurt Will a little, but only because Will wanted to help Nico feel better. Will finally suggested that Nico try writing, like a diary, to help get it out. The idea worked better than Nico imagined. Eventually, Nico started writing for pleasure, turning his story more fictional versions, which helped him cope with what he had been through. He had a very rough draft of a novel going, and while he still wasn’t able to show it to Will (it was still too raw, too personal), he was excited about it. The writing gave him a purpose, something to do when Will wasn’t at home or busy with his studies. The nightmares almost stopped, and in the rare occasions that they did occur, they were much more mild than ever.

Nico also found another surprising passion that gave him a purpose: food. Nico learned that he enjoyed cooking and simply loved baking. After Nico first ran away from Camp Half-Blood after Bianca died, eating was simply a necessity, a survival instinct to keep himself going. When he finally returned to Camp-Half Blood to stay, food had always been provided. Nico had never even thought about cooking, let alone the fact that he would actually enjoy it.

He first realized his passion for cooking when, after weeks of eating take-out every night, Will made an offhand complaint about wanting some home cooked food. Will didn’t have the best relationship with his mom, but had suggested maybe they go visit her so they could eat a nice meal. A few times Nico wanted to go see Sally Jackson, Percy’s mom, but felt that would be too awkward. Finally, one day Nico got home from school and knew that Will would be home later than usual that night. Nico went to the store and got the necessary ingredients to make a simple dinner, chicken and mashed potatoes. It hadn’t been the best, but Will’s surprise and enjoyment at eating something that wasn’t from a restaurant inspired Nico to cook more. Soon, Nico was cooking every dinner and was rapidly advancing to more complicated dishes. 

The baking had been a complete surprise. One rare weekend, Will didn’t have much homework and didn’t have to work. The two were having a nice romantic morning when Nico had a craving for cookies, and not store bought cookies. He wanted hot, fresh, straight out of the oven cookies. While Will was taking a nap (it had been an exhaustingly passionate morning), Nico went to the store to get the necessary ingredients. When he returned to the apartment, Will had woken up. The two went into the kitchen and made the worst but most wonderful batch of cookies ever. The cookies were burned and crunchy and the kitchen was a mess, but the memory is something Nico will treasure forever. However, the following week Nico had repeated the process by himself (Will had been awfully distracting the first time), and the cookies were amazing. 

Nico was hooked, always either writing, baking, or cooking. That’s when the teasing started. One weekend before Christmas, all their friends (who now all lived in California) were visiting and Will and Nico invited them over for dinner. Upon learning that Nico had cooked and baked everything, as well as maintained the cleaning of the apartment, Percy had smirked and made his sassy “woman” comment. Nico knew he was just teasing, but it bothered him nonetheless. The teasing continued when, as a gag gift, Percy gave Nico a hideously feminine apron for Christmas. Nico looked down and realized he was wearing that apron now. At first he refused to wear it, but after getting numerous shirts dirty, he decided the apron served a purpose regardless of how it looked. 

Nico was pulled out of his thoughts when Will walked through the door. Will’s face lit up at the sight of dinner now on the table and the smell of apple pie in the oven. Seeing Will’s face made Nico melt. He still couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have Will Solace as his boyfriend. As the two settled at the table to eat and Will began rambling about his day, Nico decided he was fine with being the “woman” of the relationship. He could cook, bake, clean, and generally do the “womanly” things, as long as he was doing them for Will.


End file.
